FWC thinks that you are OK with sector separation. Change their mind now.

Date posted: February 9, 2016

Recently, FWC Commissioners have been bombarded with input from the sector separation
crowd that is contrary to input from the recreational fishing community. Anglers
have been greatly outnumbered by pro sector separation people at recent meetings.

The FWC meets in Tallahassee tomorrow. Let the Commissioners hear from you now.
Our friends at the Coastal Conservation Association just made it easy to SPEAK UP.

Check out CCA’s Call To Action and follow the link below. It’s easy to make your
voice heard.

NOTE: Best to do this before you leave for work in the morning.

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION CALL TO ACTION EMAIL SENT TODAY.

Time for Anglers to Make a Stand Against 'Sea Lords'Florida FWC under siege by snapper barons

A federal program that is allowing almost half the Gulf red snapper fishery to be
held by a handful of private business has created a class of Sea Lords who are fighting
to keep their personal windfall. As outlined in this ground-breaking article in
the Mobile Times Register, "Kingpins of the Gulf make millions off red snapper harvestwithout ever going fishing,"
these Sea Lords have been granted private ownership rights to red snapper, for free,
to use for their own personal profit.

The private recreational angling community has been left to fight over scraps and
10 day seasons.
The Sea Lords, and those who would like to become Sea Lords in the charter/for-hire
industry, are now engaged in a campaign of intimidation at the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Commission (FWC). The Gulf States have been unified in their rejection
of private ownership programs to manage fisheries and know that they can do a better
job using traditional methods. Last year, the states put forth their own state plan to manage red snapper,
a plan that resulted in federal legislation to transfer management of the fishery
to Gulf States.

With their riches threatened and desperate to hide the truth, the Sea Lords are
fighting to flood the FWC with their one-sided story, coercing state officials to
abandon the state management model.

The FWC meets tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. at the Florida Public Safety Institute Conference
Center in Havana, Florida. It is critical for recreational anglers to express their
support of state management and of the FWC before and during that meeting.The simple
message is that we trust the state to manage these public marine resources better.
We believe in the FWC and its far superior track record of management. We must let
our state commissioners know that there is another side to this story. We must not
let greed dictate how our fisheries are managed.

Please take a few minutes today to click the link below and send FWC Commissioners
a message of support for state management and urge them to stay the course. The
future of our fisheries is at stake - don't let our state managers be led astray
or intimidated by a few red snapper barons.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/YE_wJkh4vQO5x8Vo9y0yZQ
THE PREVIOUS IS FROM THE COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION CALL TO ACTION EMAIL SENT TODAY.